Art From Art’s Sake #200: A Celebration Of Marvel UK’s ‘The Daredevils’ At 40

by Richard Bruton

Wow… we’re at #200 of Art For Art’s Sake… now that’s rather something. And for the 200th edition, I’m going to be terribly self-indulgent, just because of a thing seen on Mike Collins’ Twitter and me realising it’s now 40 years since Marvel UK’s The Daredevils appeared…

Okay, before we start, the eagle-eyed amongst you might have realised that this isn’t strictly speaking number 200. It would have been if somehow we hadn’t managed to miss out A4AS #183 and 184 this year. Don’t ask. I blame the Gin & Tonic.

But, but, but… there’s a way round this one… we did two special, un-numbered A4AS this year on the terrible losses of Raymond Briggs and Kevin O’Neill. Therefore, it’s 200 after all. Phew. Pour myself another G&T and get on with it then…

Where were we? Oh yes, The Daredevils…

The Daredevils first came out in January 1983 and ran just 11 issues. But oh, those were 11 issues of greatness assembled by editor Bernie Jaye. Inside, we got to see Captain Britain return from the dead in the strip by Alan Moore and Alan Davis, reprints of Frank Miller‘s run on Daredevil, classic Spider-Man by Stan Lee and John Romita – although that only lasted a few issues before we started getting more features and things like the Moore Doctor Who strips around the Special Executive and more brand-new stuff.

Sure, I was there for the Captain Britain, but the line-up was just perfect to draw me in. And add in the text pieces and pin-ups and you had a comic that spoke to its readers so wonderfully well – something full of the weird and wonderful, far more than your standard Marvel comic.

Just look at what was in that very first issue…

Is it any wonder I loved it so much?

It was the little things as well, such as the Alan Moore-written article on Frank Miller‘s Daredevil, one that made me want to go out and read anything by Moore, by Miller, and anything else that was mentioned. I think it would have been the first time I heard of Manga comics as well with the mention of Lone Wolf and Cub.

Then you had Moore’s insightful Fanzine reviews and the gag strips from Tim Quinn and Dickie Howett and Lew Stringer (his first professional work), introductions to the likes of Garry Leach, David Lloyd, John Higgins, Mick Austin, Jerry Paris – all part of Bernie Jaye’s way to open up The Daredevils into something that served the entire British comics community…

Now, a bit more art – you know, seeing as this is Art For Art’s Sake…

Classic Moore/Davis Captain Britain, this from The Daredevils #5,’Executive Action’, introducing the Special Executive…

Anyway, the thing that brought me to writing about this – the Daredevil parody GRIT by Alan Moore, Mike Collins, and Mark Farmer that I saw Mike Collins mention on Twitter that ran in The Daredevils #8 (1983).

According to Mike, Grit happened because Moore had met them both in UK fanzines and the like and had recommended them to the legendary Bernie Jaye (Moore’s Marvel UK editor). More than that, Moore wrote the 4-page Grit parody and attached Collins and Farmer’s names to the script. And that was it, Jaye took them on and that was their first professional work.

Grit is still fabulous, all these years later, with a goodly part of what made it work so much being just how Collins and Farmer have managed to get the art right, parodying Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s run on Daredevil and getting the style just bang on.

Then there’s this, Alan Davis‘ first professional strip, The Crusader, reprinted from Marvel’s Rampage Monthly in The Daredevils #10.

Of course, 11 issues was all it got before the end and a merger with Mighty World of Marvel, where Captain Britain and some of the features would continue for a while. Here’s Alan Davis‘ farewell to The Daredevils and Bernie Jaye printed in #11, featuring Cobweb from The Special Executive. All very sweet, although the Prince Andrew mention hasn’t aged too well…